Business Briefs
The newly established Cyprian Center for Expressive Arts is celebrating its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in the historic Lincolnville section of St. Augustine. The free event kicks off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, musicians, art activities, a tour of the grounds and refreshments. The event is at 130 Martin Luther King Ave. in St. Augustine. For information, call 806-4508.

Bank celebrates 25th anniversary
Prosperity Bank has spent 25 years building its reputation in the community with the expectation it will still be strong for another 25 years.

Motley Fool
Q: I'm debt-free except for my mortgage, and I have retirement savings and emergency accounts set up. I now find myself with an extra $400 per month. Is it smarter for me to pay down my mortgage faster with it, or to invest it in a stock market index fund? -- S.R., Montreal

Top brands: Coca-Cola, IBM
Consumers lost trust in brands this year as the recession deepened, according to an industry report released Thursday, although longtime staples Coca-Cola and IBM retained their spots as the world's two most valuable brands.

Prosperity promotes Raymond to executive vice president
Raymond, who joined Prosperity Bank in 2001, is also the chief information officer. His responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of information technology, information security and electronic banking and managing a team of nine employees. He was instrumental in transitioning the core banking platform from a third party source to an in-house function at Prosperity, a first in the company's history.

Toys 'R' Us crafts strategy to inspire consumers
HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Wayne, N.J.-based Toys "R" Us is planning to outplay the competition this Christmas with an aggressive strategy designed to increase market share and show that the company is in the game for the long term.

Business Briefs
A.D. Davis Construction Corp. has been recognized for surpassing 900 days of operation without a workplace injury. The family-owned and -operated construction company received the SafeWorks! award of recognition from the FCCI Insurance Group, represented by Dan Alexander, Thompson Baker Agency.

Speaker series focuses on financial matters
THE DAVIDSON REALTY SPEAKER SERIES -- SESSION No. 2 HELD SEPT. 10 -- Speaker was Lansing J. Roy of Lansing J. Roy Bankruptcy Law firm. Roy did an outstanding job explaining the bankruptcy procedures and the procedures that are available to the person experiencing bankruptcy. My assumption of bankruptcy (needless to say I have never experienced or known anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in this predicament) was "it's over -- no remedy for this." I was totally wrong -- he answered many questions presented by the attendees and there were multiple things available individuals.

Participants sought for Fort Mose re-enactment
The search is on for volunteers, vendors and re-enactors to participate in the Feb. 26 and 27 Flight to Freedom living history program being presented at Fort Mose Historic State Park.

Obligations that come with parenting
It was another superb nine o'clock in the morning in Charleston, S.C., where we had come for a brief respite before the start of my travel season. We were seated in one of the finest of the many fine breakfast bistros in town, in one of the finest of the many fine hotels in town, and I was about to jump out of my skin. Seated directly across from us was a family that included grandparents, a father, and two preschool children, both of whom were shrieking and bellowing as if they were riding a roller coaster at Dizzy World. The grandparents, our generation, were doing their best to ignore the little yahoos, while the father kept up a litany of empty threats.

Competition drill camp held at Nease
Nease NJROTC held their first-ever Competition Drill Camp on the Nease campus last month, beginning at 4 p.m. and ending at 4 a.m. The 64 cadets in attendance began learning about what it takes to become part of the award-winning Nease drill teams.

Bad luck comes in threes -- or more
It all started at work. My computer decided to flip out. I'd be doing something, and suddenly it would decide it was too tired to work, and it would take a siesta.

SJA student attends leadership forum
Holly Linville, daughter of Donald and Patrice Linville of Ponte Vedra and a St. Joseph Academy sophomore, was nominated for the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine (NYLF/MED) and successfully completed the forum this summer.

News & Notes
Anastasia Mosquito Control District will host its annual open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at 500 Old Beach road. Light refreshments will be served.

Forestry queen pageant next July
Melissa Goldberg, the first Miss St. Augustine Forestry Queen is preparing herself for the fifth annual Miss Florida Forestry State Scholarship Pageant. The event is planned next July in St. Augustine, and officials of the state competition are now seeking a location for the state competition here.

'Kindertransport' at FloArts
Florida School of the Arts will present Diane Samuels' "Kindertransport" at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24 through 26 and at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 27 on the FloArts Main Stage Theatre at the St. Johns River Community College Palatka campus. Admission is $5. The play begins with one woman's journey during the real-life transporting of 10,000 Jewish children away from the dangers of Nazi Germany. Patrons will experience the heartbreaking story of Evelyn, the now grown British woman, and Eva, the 11-year-old Jewish child she used to be.

... from St. Augustine to off-Broadway
" t's an interesting dynamic for sure," Addi McDaniel said of playing Luisa in the off-Broadway revival of "The Fantasticks." The St. Augustine-bred 24-year-old is the only woman in a cast of eight. "The guys are awesome, but being in an industry that's dominated by women -- this is a new experience. It's like a little family."

Ag Museum Day is Sept. 26
The Florida Agricultural Museum will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day Sept. 26, presented by Smithsonian magazine. A celebration of culture, learning, and dissemination of knowledge, Smithsonian's Museum Day reflects the spirit of the magazine, and emulates the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution's Washington, DC-based properties. Doors will be open free of charge to Smithsonian magazine readers and Smithsonian.com visitors at museum and cultural institutions nationwide.

A woman with a heart of gold
enee Morris, director of the St. Francis House, is from a very small town in Iowa where you could spit and be in a corn field. She was raised with five sisters and brothers by a single mother. Morris traveled extensively and lived out West before moving to Florida in 1988. She lived on a sailboat and left for the Bahamas the day Hurricane Hugo hit the East Coast.

Park Activities
A bird walk is planned from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. today at Fort Mose State Historic Park led by a park volunteer. The group will walk the boardwalk, see the rookery, and visit the education building. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars and a field guide if you have one. Walks are free; park entrance fee applies. Fort Mose is on U.S. 1, one mile north of State Road 16.

Touch and feel
he Textile Arts Guild of St. Augustine recently donated a gift of $250 to the St. Augustine Art Association to establish a memorial award in honor of fiber artist Nancy Crisp Garrard, who died in May. The award will be given for Best Fiber Art at the 8th Annual Tactile Art Show, held Oct. 4-28 at the St. Augustine Art Association.

Gen. Jorge Biassou, a key local figure
He marched around the streets of St. Augustine in fine clothes trimmed in gold, wearing a silver-trimmed saber, a fancy ivory and silver dagger, and a medal from the king of Spain. Gen. Jorge Biassou lived for five years in Spanish St. Augustine, from 1796 to 1801, displaying the image of an important chieftain and a person of power.

SJRCC returns from leadership conference
St. Johns River Community College students Aubrie Simpson and Shawna Petrello recently attended the Lawton Chiles Leadership Corps held at the University of Central Florida. The two-day event was designed to inspire more than 260 college and high school students to become involved in the "Worst to First" movement, a statewide initiative to move Florida from "worst" to "first" in education and child welfare.

Briefly
Registration continues Oct. 1 through Nov. 7 for ages 7 to 14 interested in the St. Johns County Recreation and parks Department youth basketball league.

Shoes for Uganda orphans
What started as a casual conversation between St. Joseph Academy drama teacher Nancy Thelen and Tony Crafts a member of United Methodist in Jacksonville, turned into 438 pairs of shoes for orphans in Kampala, Uganda.

Climbing to the top -- again and again and again
Mike Clifford certainly had his ups and downs on his visit to St. Augustine the week before Labor Day. When you're used to running the up and down terrains of the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, the flat sea level surfaces of St. Augustine provide a lesser challenge for the Lake George, N.Y. resident.

Constitution Week luncheon held
The NJROTC Color Guard of Allen D. Nease High School presented the Colors, and the Annual Constitution Week Luncheon of Northeast Florida Regent's Council, Daughters of the American Revolution, was called to order at Marsh Landing Country Club in Ponte Vedra. Eight DAR chapters were in attendance, including eight members of Maria Jefferson Chapter, St. Augustine. They brought two guests, as well.

School Menu
The following are the menu listings for St. Johns County public school cafeterias for the week of Sept. 21. See the individual school Web site, www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/food/menus, for the complete menu. Each day's menu, in addition to choice of one entree, includes choice of two sides, including assorted fruits, fruit juices and choice of bread.

Big Trunk Show slated for November
Cafe Eleven, the St. Johns Cultural Council, The Closet and Drift Magazine are uniting the city's up-and-coming fashion designers to bring fashion to the forefront of North Florida's culture with the fourth annual Big Trunk Show.

This spring, black is the new black
The nod to the spring/summer season was to offset the black with white and shades of nude, blush and stone, all part of the overall muted look that has dominated at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Rainy day at Wadsworth
Ponds are among my favorite places for quiet observations. Wadsworth Pond in Flagler County is large enough for a wide variety of plants and animals, yet small enough to see everything from one position just by turning my head. A boardwalk over one end of the pond makes it possible to see water's surface, the zone at the edges of the pond where water plants are thickest, and much of the shore line.

Fun with Flowers fall program set
The Garden Club of St. Augustine's fall Fun with Flowers program Sept. 29, will feature creative florist and floral designer Karin Sufalko of 54 Treasury. The program will be 10 a.m.-noon at the Garden Center, 3440 Old Moultrie Road.

Garden clubbers enjoy Fun Day
Garden clubbers Eli Steiger, left, and Tuni Weiss chat prior to the beginning of Fun Day activities at the Agricultural Center.

Gardening Q&A
A. Cultural practices are more important to eliminating Take All disease then chemical controls. Mow the grass at a taller than normal height, fertilize lightly, but often and water only when needed.

Fall show Oct. 3-4
There's not much in life that is free anymore, but one thing that is, is the admission to the St. Johns County Home and Garden Show, Oct. 3 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)-4 (10 a.m.-3 p.m.). Each year the St. Johns County Extension Office puts on this event to bring the public and marketers of local products together. The show is on the grounds of the St. Johns County Agriculture Center, 3125 Agriculture Center Drive.

In U.S., use of face masks against flu not widespread
GULFPORT, Miss. -- Americans have not developed a modern face-mask culture. Just ask those who have walked through an airport wearing a mask since swine flu first appeared. They likely will tell you about stares and whispers.

Did ACORN get too big for its own good?
WASHINGTON -- Activist group ACORN started in 1970 to help the poor in Arkansas and quickly went national, growing into a multimillion-dollar conglomerate with a mission so far-flung that schools now bear its name, two radio stations are affiliates and a man it backed is the president. Oh yeah, it's also the unwilling star of a hot Internet video featuring a couple dressed as a hooker and her pimp.

Obama to meet with Netanyahu, Abbas Tuesday
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will host a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to lay the groundwork for renewed negotiations on Mideast peace.

Soda taxes back in the limelight
Consumption -- many would say overconsumption -- of full-calorie soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages undoubtedly has fueled the rise of obesity in the U.S. The number of colas, sports drinks and fruit punches guzzled by the average American doubled between 1977 and 2002. Study after study has demonstrated a link between the amount of liquid calories consumed and the number of pounds gained.

As ACORN grew, so did its clout and its problems
WASHINGTON -- Long before two conservative young activists strode into an ACORN office wearing a hidden camera, the grassroots organization had been racking up kills in its decades-long quest to protect working-class people from what it saw as wrongheaded corporate interests.

Dems split over how to overhaul health care
WASHINGTON -- Before President Barack Obama can sign health care legislation, his biggest sales challenge will be convincing his fellow Democrats in Congress to enact his plan.

Inhalable swine flu vaccine to be ready soon, gov't says
At least 3.4 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus will be available at the beginning of October, and about 20 million doses per week should become available soon after that, federal officials said Friday.

National Report
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- A man who once claimed he fathered the child of John Edwards' mistress now says in a book proposal that the former presidential candidate is the baby's father.

Chief: Police may never know motive in Yale slaying
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Police may never know the motive for the killing of a Yale University graduate student whose body was found hidden behind a wall on what should have been her wedding day, the police chief said Friday.

Political writer Irving Kristol dead at 89
WASHINGTON -- Irving Kristol, the writer, editor and publisher whose youthful radicalism evolved into a historic rejection of communism, liberalism and the counterculture, died Friday. He was 89.

Obama faces 2 world gatherings this week
WASHINGTON -- The unrelenting global troubles confronting Barack Obama are about to converge on him all at once, providing a stern test of leadership for a first-year president who has pledged to "change the world."

Intelligence report drove administration's new missile plan
WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday that the new missile defense system planned for Europe has the flexibility to adapt to changes in Iranian missile capabilities even if U.S. intelligence about Tehran's slower-than-expected pace turns out to be wrong.

Obama: Debate not motivated by his race
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Friday that angry criticisms about his health care agenda are driven by an intense debate over the proper role of government -- and not by racism.

ACORN reduces presence throughout the country
CHICAGO -- Stung by the recession and a string of scandals, the ACORN community activist organization has found itself shutting down in many of the communities it once worked to empower.

Waiting for HaLeigh
His moments turn on a small wheel, worn smooth by repetition over the 222 days since his little girl, HaLeigh, disappeared.

Renewed search for missing child
While detectives in Putnam County this week interviewed the brother of the woman who was watching HaLeigh Ann-Marie Cummings the night she disappeared, their colleagues went back to work combing around rural Satsuma for any sign of the girl.

Accord eludes union, county
The leaders of St. Johns County's firefighters union said Saturday that they'd been contacted by St. Johns County administrators who want to negotiate a bit before the County Commission meets Tuesday to approve a final millage rate.

Pond prepared for search
Putnam County authorities were drawing down water in a pond off State Road 19 Saturday evening, as dive teams waited to search the pond in an effort Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy confirmed is related to missing Satsuma girl Haleigh Cummings.

Millage freeze would mean some big cuts
If the St. Johns County Commission set 2010's millage the same as this year, the county would be forced to eliminate 150 jobs, close one library, one fire station and one annex building, and drastically reduce the county's recreational programs, among many other cuts.

Georgia man arrested on exposure charges
A 45-year-old Georgia man was arrested in St. Augustine on Thursday evening after he allegedly exposed himself to a female truck driver and her 11-year-old son as he drove north on Interstate 95, police said.

Museums offer free admission
Today, both the Government House Museum of History and Archaeology and Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum will offer free admission as part of the Museum Day, presented by Smithsonian magazine.

Palm Coast man's death ruled suicide
A Palm Coast man who shot his estranged wife to death Wednesday morning died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Flagler County Sheriff's investigators announced Friday.

Nice 67 Y.O. male has brush with mortality
The doctor who saw me in the ER wrote in her report: "nice 67 y.o. male, flat affect, awake, alert and appropriate." I had appeared with slurred speech and a balloon in my head, had driven myself to United Hospital in St. Paul, parked in No Parking, walked in and was triaged right in to a neurologist who trundled me into the MRI Space-Time Cyclotron for 50 minutes of banging and whanging which produced a picture of the stroke in the front of my brain, so off to the Mayo Clinic I went and the St. Mary's Hospital Neurology ICU and was wired up to monitors. A large day in a nice 67 y.o. man's life.

ACORN squanders the public's trust
Today's working definition of irony: After years of conservative complaints and calls for investigation, it took a pair of twentysomething, hidden-camera-video freelancers to push ACORN past the tipping point of acceptability.

New state motor vehicle fees were set by Florida Legislature
The new fees for the Department of Motor Vehicles took effect on Sept. 1. In light of the news coverage regarding our crowded offices here in St. Johns County and statewide, on Monday, Aug. 31, I would like to take a moment to offer some insight regarding the volume of traffic received and the manner in which it was handled.

Health insurance costs eating business alive
In 1999, it cost about $5,800 to buy employer-provided family health insurance coverage. If premiums had increased at the same rate as inflation, that same policy today would cost $7,239.

Letters
Editor: I attended the 912 Rally in Washington, DC. Crowd size has been estimated from thousands to 2 million. I know we were present in large numbers, from all over the United States. This truly was a grass roots effort in that there was not a central organizing force. No one knew quite what to expect -- DC was not ready for the overwhelming turnout -- transportation (Metro) was bogged down, not enough port-a-potties, etc.

Common-sense defense
The missile defense shield in Eastern Europe was one of the most ill-conceived security notions to come from the George W. Bush administration, but that's not stopping Republicans from calling foul now that President Obama has rightly put it to rest.

Flat millage too severe
We commend the County Commission for its willingness to look at a flat millage rate: 4.29 mills for the general fund and 1. 06 for fire services. Property values are down so tax revenues are, too.

Playing the race deck
Charges of racism these past several days, from op-ed pages to Jimmy Carter's interpretation of Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie!" outburst, are proving ... complicated.

Letters
Editor: I find the conduct of our county commissioners at their recent meeting with officials of Local 3865, International Association of Firefighters, to be disgraceful.

COA's not for 'sissies'
If not, Cathy Brown and Pat O'Connell, the dynamic duo that organize St. Johns County Council on Aging's programs are fond of repeating the sissy phrase to challenge today's senior population to stay active.

Police Reports
The following was compiled from police reports from the St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD), St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD):

Police Reports
The following was compiled from police reports from the St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD), St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD), St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO) and the Florida Highway Patrol. (FHP)

Snow, Alabama Deaf run wild, hammer FSDB, 42-0
Stepping into the quarterback's shoes for the first time in two years was challenging enough Saturday afternoon for Ryan Santana of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind's football team.

Montoya looking for historic victory
LOUDON, N.H. -- Juan Pablo Montoya has a bottle of French wine at home that was given to him as a gift from a friend in Malaysia, who told the driver to save it for a very special occasion.

Jags' Garrard can't ignore comment on Tebow
But there's no way he could've turned a deaf ear to the attention given to team owner Wayne Weaver, who recently discussed the club's possible interest in Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow.

Martin has strong title shot
LOUDON, N.H. -- It's been seven years since Mark Martin legitimately challenged for the championship. Now he's got his best shot at the title that's so painfully eluded him over 27 years in NASCAR.

Yulee runs over Matanzas, 28-6
YULEE -- The Yulee Hornets used Derrick Henry to the right, to the left and up the middle as they dominated the Matanzas Pirates 28-6 Friday night.

Sharks respond to challenge
After watching his team score just three points in the first half Friday night and give up nearly triple the yardage in total offense to Stanton, Ponte Vedra football coach Mike Loyd thought it was time to issue a challenge to his second-year team.

All eyes on Kiffin, Tebow
GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer spends countless hours coming up with ways to keep his team motivated.

Local Watch 2
Meg Weathersby helped the Flagler College volleyball team win a pair of matches on Saturday. Weathersby had a combined 32 kills to lead the Saints to a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-23, 25-15) of Augusta State University, and a 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-21) over Lander. The win over Lander marked the Saints' first in a Peach Belt Conference match. Flagler is now 9-8.

PAL football league kicks off
Division 1: The Silver squad scored the game's final 13 points and made a defensive stand as time expired to win 13-12 over the Green squad. Blake Stevens opened up the scoring with a touchdown. Michael Moxon added a touchdown run to complete the scoring for the Green team. Trailing by 12 the Silver team called on Devin Cascia to carry the load and he responded with a 30-yard touchdown scamper. Casey O'Neil carried the ball into the end-zone for the game tying score late in the second half. The game winner came on the conversion run by Dillan Thibault.

Bears bounce back
The Bartram Trail football team used a bullying defense to wallop the Falcons 24-3 on Friday night.

Snow, Alabama Deaf run wild, hammer FSDB, 42-0
Stepping into the quarterback's shoes for the first time in two years was challenging enough Saturday afternoon for Ryan Santana of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind's football team.

Top 25: USC stunned by Washington
SEATTLE -- Southern California was leveled by another post-Ohio State funk, taken down by upstart Washington with a late drive that must have looked familiar to the Trojans.

the Rant
Florida fans didn't just want a win on Saturday. They wanted to break the scoreboard against Lane Kiffin and Tennessee. When the Florida Gators wrapped up a lackluster 23-13 win over Tennessee, the blogosphere was already chirping about how unsatisfying a 10-point win over the Volunteers was. Are you kidding me?

Flagler Palm Coast gets back on track
DELTONA -- Flagler Palm Coast got back to winning ways in a big way Friday night with its second shutout of the season in a 44-0 rout of Pine Ridge.

Local Watch
Lindsay Zullo scored her first collegiate goal and that was all Flagler College would need in a 2-0 victory over the University of North Carolina Pembroke in Peach Belt Conference women's soccer match Saturday. The Saints are 4-2-1 overall, and 1-0-1 in conference play. Loren Cate added the other goal. Christie Reuther had the shutout, her second of the year. ...

Twins top Tigers; Braves, Marlins win
MINNEAPOLIS -- The latest ball lost in the Metrodome's deceiving roof spoiled Justin Verlander's stellar start in the eighth inning, and the Minnesota Twins rallied past the Detroit Tigers 6-2 Saturday to move within two games of the AL Central lead. Jesse Crain (6-4) threw a scoreless eighth for the victory.

Vexing long-term health care absent from U.S. debate
MIAMI -- Gillian Lloyd's parents did everything right: They saved compulsively for their retirement and brought aides into their home when they needed help. Yet they still face impossible questions of how to continue paying for care in their final years.

Harry Potter theme park set to open next year in Orlando
MIAMI -- It sounds like a new book in the Harry Potter series, but "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" will be a high-tech ride and the marquee attraction at the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter," a new theme park area opening in spring 2010 at Universal Orlando Resort.

North Korea's Kim hints at returning to nuclear talks
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reportedly said Friday his country is ready to engage in multilateral talks, the latest move in a diplomatic chess game with the U.S. and regional powers seeking to rid Pyongyang of nuclear weapons.

Marchers face off in Tehran
TEHRAN, Iran -- Tens of thousands of opposition protesters swarmed the streets of Tehran and at least two other Iranian cities Friday, audaciously turning an annual rally in support of the Palestinian cause into the first major demonstration against the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in six weeks.

Mexico City boosts subway security after shootings
MEXICO CITY -- Police started randomly checking people for guns in the capital's 175 subway stations Saturday after a man opened fire inside a crowded station, killing two people and causing eight injuries.

Pakistan raids U.S.-hired security firm
ISLAMABAD -- Police raided a Pakistani security firm that helps protect the U.S. Embassy on Saturday, seizing 70 allegedly unlicensed weapons and arresting two people. The incident follows a series of scandals surrounding American use of private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Shooting in Mexico City subway kills at least two
MEXICO CITY -- A man scrawling graffiti inside a downtown subway station pulled out a gun and began shooting when confronted by police Friday, killing at least two people and wounding five before being shot and subdued by officers.

Knife shown at Italy murder trial
PERUGIA, Italy -- A knife that prosecutors say could have been used to kill a British woman in Italy was shown in court Saturday at the murder trial of her American roommate and an Italian co-defendant.

Thousands march in Iran protests
TEHRAN, Iran -- Tens of thousands of protesters -- many decked out in the green colors of the reform movement and chanting "Death to the dictator!" -- rallied Friday in defiance of Iran's Islamic leadership, clashing with police and confronting state-run anti-Israel rallies.